News Links | February 25, 2016

System News | Opinion

Port of Vancouver USA officials said Tuesday they'll work with Clark College to redevelop the Washington Port's Terminal 1 waterfront area. ... Clark College
will "collaborate with port tenants at Terminal 1 to provide educational and community
programs that support and energize the local economy," according to a release.Portland Business Journal, Feb. 24, 2016

We're not lacking good ideas on how to make higher education more affordable. U.S.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, was shown that Friday as she met with a panel of
eight students who attend Everett Community College or its campus sister, Washington State University North Puget Sound at Everett, as
reported by The Herald's Sharon Salyer.Everett Herald, Feb. 24, 2016

Clark College nursing students are proving they already have the compassion to succeed at the job. Along
with all their classes, they’re organizing their second Walk for Cancer. Instead of
collecting cash, the students collect gift cards.KGW, Feb. 24, 2016

The instruction learned over the last six to eight quarters was put to the test for
eight Aviation Maintenance Technician students at Clover Park Technical College. Two four-person teams competed in the first Northwest Regional Aviation Maintenance
Competition as part of the 33rd Annual Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show
in Puyallup on Feb. 20. Out of six teams from five colleges, CPTC took home second
and third place behind Spokane Community College.The Suburban Times, Feb. 24, 2016

Tacoma Community College Vice President for Student Services, Mary Chikwinya, is a recipient of the community
college honors society Phi Theta Kappa’s (PTK) 2016 Distinguished College Administrator
Award.The Suburban Times, Feb. 24, 2016

Transitioning from the military to a civilian job can be a challenge. A new initiative
at Bates Technical College aims to make it easier for qualified veterans to earn a degree in practical nursing.The Suburban Times, Feb. 24, 2016

Seattle Colleges has narrowed its search for a new chancellor to three finalists. ... The finalist
candidates are Gale Gibson Gayle, Shouan Pan and Mark Mitsui. Trustees say they want
to select the new chancellor in April. ... Before being named Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Community Colleges at the U.S. Department of Education, Mitsui was president of
North Seattle College, vice president of student services at South Seattle College, assistant dean of student
services at Green River College. He was also a faculty member at Renton Technical College.Puget Sound Business Journal, Feb. 23, 2016

After a friend of Chanelle Johnson’s completed the Advanced Composites Manufacturing
Certificate, Johnson enrolled in the two-quarter program. Now two months into her
first quarter, Johnson is thinking about what comes after she earns her certificate.
The Aviation and Aerospace Technology Career Fair at Clover Park Technical College’s South Hill Campus on Feb. 18 helped Johnson learn more about the industry.The Suburban Times, Feb. 23, 2016

Levi Taylor is making a fresh start in the sport he’d left behind years ago. The former
three-sport star at Lewis and Clark High School is back in class and back on the court,
helping the Community Colleges of Spokane chase a conference championship even as he chases a better future for himself and
his family.The Spokesman-Review, Feb. 17, 2016

Lack of faculty buy-in often is described as a reason why college completion efforts
fail to take hold at some campuses. Yet having college administrators successfully
sell a foundation-backed initiative to faculty members isn’t the best way to improve
graduation rates, according to Achieving the Dream, a completion-oriented group that
is holding its annual meeting here this week. Faculty-led reforms work best, according
to the nonprofit group.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 25, 2016

Rosemary Feal, executive director of the MLA, says she's stepping down next summer,
at the end of her current term. She's leaving behind an organization that's much more
representative of its members.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 25, 2016

A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center found that 15
states have improved college completion rates for students in four-year public institutions,
despite overall national declines.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 24, 2016

Disciplinary actions typically are not included on students' academic transcripts.
And since 1996, the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
(AACRAO) has said recording violations such as harassment, sexual misconduct, substance
abuse or plagiarism on a transcript is not a recommended best practice. That stance
has changed, however, the group said last week.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 24, 2016

When college presidents network, political ideology matters. According to a new report,
published in Public Administration Review, college presidents’ political views shape
the way they interact with policy makers, business owners and other community leaders.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 24, 2016

In a lawsuit that could chart new ground, the consumer bureau is battling in court
for information about how an accreditor approved some of the most controversial for-profit
colleges.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 24, 2016

Politics | Local, State, National

Obama administration's proposed rules would extend overtime protections to millions
— including many postdocs and other employees in higher ed. Would the plan provide
overdue relief or be a financial disaster for colleges and universities?Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 25, 2016

Library groups on Wednesday endorsed President Obama’s plans to nominate Carla D.
Hayden as the next librarian of Congress, saying she would bring much-needed experience
with library technology to the institution.Inside Higher Ed, Feb. 25, 2016

Lawmakers in the state of Washington want to give college dropouts a chance to finish
their degree for free, a novel proposal that could have far-reaching implications
for boosting national completion rates. Washington’s Free to Finish College bill,
which is wending its way through the legislature with bipartisan support, calls for
the state to cover tuition for residents who are 15 credits short of an associates
or bachelor’s degree.The Washington Post, Feb. 23, 2016

State lawmakers took a step toward fulfilling a court order to fully fund basic education
when they recently approved Senate Bill 6195. But it is, unfortunately, a tiny step.Tri-City Herald, Feb. 23, 2016

Earlier this session, [Rep. Matt] Manweller — a professor of political science at
Central Washington University — championed a legislative effort he called an “academic
bill of rights,” a reaction to what he and other lawmakers fear is a loss of free
speech on college campuses. While the bill died in committee, it’s unlikely we’ve
seen the last such efforts.The News Tribune, Feb. 22, 2016